The 'modern' guarding forces of India's borders

The Himalayan mountain range appears as a gigantic crescent with a continuous snowline, also constituting the sources of most of the Himalayan rivers. A large part of the Himalayas on the Indian side is below the snow line with offshoots of lower mountain ranges, widely varying levels of precipitation, and a typology of forest cover. Templating mountains in a generic manner is fraught with immense pitfalls. 

Official lines 

Contextually, while a boundary is well-defined and regulated by law, a border is a specific edge of the country or an area, something that can be clearly marked. A border is usually an official line that marks where one country/area begins and another ends. On the other hand, a front or frontier is something more general, not a specific line, but an area near the border. A “front” can thus be a politico-geographical area, lying beyond the defined borders of a state, but in its proximity, into which expansion could take place, implying maybe a dynamic entity. 

Borders indicate territorial sovereignty of India, an exclusive authority over its territory, enforcement of its laws, and control of the borders without interference and dictates from other states. In context, territorial sovereignty can be viewed as an honour because it represents Indian independence and the right to exclusive authority over its territory.   The protection of this sovereignty is a source of national pride and is often invoked by leaders as a matter of honour to be defended at all costs. Indeed, borders also relate to demographies on both sides, of the movement of goods, services, capital, people and ideas. Borders are also exploited by inimical elements through cross-border terrorism, illegal migration, and the trafficking of narcotics, drugs, and smuggling. 

In the Indian context, each neighbour across the border is like chalk and cheese.  Navigating neighbours

  India, by virtue of its strategic history, has antagonist relations with Pakistan and China and lately, even Bangladesh. Myanmar has been fractured by a large number of militant groups. India is hence placed in an adversarial environment. As a nation with unsettled, disputed borders, India's borders have a rapidly militarising environment. The Line of Actual Control (LAC) is the disputed demarcation line of the border between India and China, in which China occupies Aksai Chin in the Ladakh Union Territory and has claimed territories in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand border, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. 

The Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan is a hot border, with armies facing each other. A ceasefire is in place  from February 2021  but often breaks, as in Operation Sindoor. The LoC with Pakistan is one of the most militarised borders. Cross-border terrorism that includes persistent threats from Pakistan-based terror outfits (for example, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed) necessitate round-the-clock surveillance at the border.  The 2016 Uri attack, the 2019 Pulwama attack and the 2025 Pahalgam attacks were carried out by these terror groups. The India-Pakistan border, stretching over 3,323 km, includes between 740 km and 776 km of the LoC and around 200 km of the international border in Jammu and Kashmir — a region frequently targeted by infiltration and cross-border terrorism.  

The India-Myanmar border with undulating hills runs over 1,600 km through Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram. It is impossible to tell where one country ends and the other begins. Villages spill across the line; families are divided by it yet bound by blood. The Free Movement Regime (FMR), instituted decades ago, allows tribes living along the border to cross up to 16 kilometres (km) into either country without a visa. The border was not a barrier but a conduit for arms, narcotics, and insurgents. Myanmar Army’s instability and armed ethnic groups have created a new flux, with the spillover of refugees into Mizoram and Manipur, the presence of Indian insurgent camps across the border, and the growth of narco-terror networks are fresh challenges. 

The riverine terrain of India’s border with Bangladesh stretches over 4,000 km and has a large number of villages astride. It is the longest land boundary India shares with any neighbour. The border is fraught with illegal migration and smuggling. Fencing began in the 1980s, but even today, large stretches remain unfenced. The fence has to be reconstructed every year after monsoons and floods. Each monsoon, the floodwaters tear down the concertina wire, forcing soldiers to rebuild from scratch. There are infiltration attempts, cattle smuggling, human trafficking, and the movement of fake currency.  There was a 2015 Land Boundary Agreement on India’s borders that resolved long- pending enclaves and adverse possessions greatly. The India-Nepal border is an open border, with an estimated eight million Nepalis living and working in India. While the open border strengthens relationships, it is also an exploitable weakness. Infiltrators and smugglers use the same with ease. There are smuggling networks of timber, wildlife, narcotics, and arms. The Chinese have also built infrastructure projects, roads, hospitals, and communication towers close to the Indian border. A large number of mosques and madrasas have also come up in the Terai belt. 

Each frontier is distinct in terms of demography, inter-state relations, terrain, challenges, and threats, which range from the adversarial to support for insurgencies and common smuggling and crime. Hence, the management of the borders demands tailored strategies rooted in geography, demography and diplomacy, and indeed human security efforts and technology. The link between technology and border management is pivotal in modernising security practices and enhancing operational efficiency at international borders. By leveraging advanced technologies such as automated border control systems, biometric identification tools, and data sharing platforms, border authorities can strengthen security measures. 

  The most trusted sensor

  India’s main border guarding forces are the Border Security Force (BSF) for the Pakistan and Bangladesh borders, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) for the China border, the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) for Nepal and Bhutan borders, and the Assam Rifles for the Myanmar border. These forces are primarily under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, with the military handling border security only during wartime.   In addition to their primary roles of preventing trans-border crimes and unauthorised entry, these forces also carry out internal security duties, counter-insurgency operations, and assist the Indian Army during wartime. However, in the case of disputed borders, with Pakistan, the LoC and the actual ground position line and China, at the LAC, the primary responsibility rests with the Indian Army. Indeed, the border soldier will always be our most trusted sensor.  

Technological boom 

  Technological measures, ground sensors, night vision cameras, and smart fencing are being introduced, but technology must complement, not replace, human intelligence. The vital role that cutting-edge technologies can play in shaping modern border management by integration of automated border control systems, biometric identification tools, and data sharing platforms is immeasurable. 

The integration of technology boosts security and streamlines border operations, facilitating the smooth flow of legitimate trade and movement of people. Technology in border management enhances efficiency, strengthens security measures, and contributes to effective border management. The transformative power of technology in border management is profound 

and multifaceted. 

Technological advances in biometric systems, drones for surveillance, and smart border control solutions, including smart fences, have revolutionised many international borders and managed cross-border movements. These provide efficient and accurate identification of individuals, monitoring border areas in real time. Biometric systems can enable authorities to verify identities with a high level of accuracy, reducing the risk of unauthorised entry or fraudulent activities. 

  Drones equipped with surveillance capabilities offer enhanced monitoring of border areas, allowing for quick responses to potential threats and illegal border crossings. Smart border control systems streamline border procedures, facilitating smoother and faster processing of travellers while maintaining stringent security protocols. While powerful, the use of these technologies also raises concerns about data privacy and potential risks to human rights if not implemented with proper safeguards and accountability. 

  Some of the technologies that have made significant differences in border management are:

Project Arunank of the Border Roads Organisation celebrated its 18th raising day in Naharlagun, Arunachal Pradesh, on October 24 (Photo: BRO)

During a visit to Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir, the Union Home Minister had announced plans to bring the entire India-Pakistan border under comprehensive electronic surveillance. As part of the initiative, anti-drone systems, tunnel detection systems, high-mast lighting, and watchtowers will be key areas of development to enhance border security.  

Comprehensive systems, such as the Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS), can bring together manpower, sensors, communication networks, and intelligence for a unified view and quicker response. The CIBMS can ensure better situational awareness at all levels and enable a quick response to any situation along the India-Pakistan, India-China, and the India-Bangladesh borders. The CIBMS has to be designed to bring together manpower, sensors, communication networks, intelligence, and command control systems into one integrated setup.  There are also other major cogs in border management wheel that are essential. Integrated check posts at international borders aim to ensure smooth, secure, and efficient movement of people and goods across borders. Border infrastructure development by the Border Roads Organisation, and other central and state agencies are undertaking infrastructure development in a major way.  Under the Vibrant Villages Programme and the Border Area Development Programme, aggressive work on infrastructure upgrades help in both defence and local development.  

The Border Infrastructure and Management scheme aims to strengthen security along the country’s international borders by implementing projects focused on developing the border infrastructure, such as border fences, border roads, and other related facilities. A technologically advanced border security infrastructure is designed to strengthen surveillance and control in sensitive border areas.  

However, changes in technology are like a sprint, changing so fast that it is impossible to keep pace. It must also be understood that the best of technology is viable for a finite time, and inimical elements will eventually find ways around it. It will remain a cat-and-mouse game. 

  There are also fixed and mobile video surveillance systems, thermal imaging devices, radar, ground sensors, and radio  frequency sensors that are in use along the borders. AI-enabled systems, underground sensors, motion detection and facial recognition. Smart towers, satellite-linked border management. Real-time monitoring using drones, satellites, and AI-based analysis. Heat sensors, seismic sensors, smart fences, and round-the-clock human surveillance with drone support. 

  What measures can India adopt to accelerate tech-driven border security? Accelerated deployment in vulnerable zones, prioritising one Jammu, Punjab and Myanmar borders, where infiltration attempts have spiked, is needed. The Vibrant Villages Programme is a step in the right direction, and will mandate the creation of modern infrastructure. 

To integrate satellite surveillance and GIS mapping, India should expand the use of Cartosat for real-time border surveillance and leverage GSAT-7 (Rukmini) for enhanced communication in remote areas, ensuring seamless coordination among security forces. High-resolution satellite inputs can aid in mapping infiltration-prone zones, and institutionalise real-time tracking. 

India has different forces guarding different borders – the Army, the BSF, the ITBP, one SSB, and the Assam Rifles – each operating under separate rules of engagement and doctrines, ministries and command and control structures. India must ensure better synergy among one BSF, one Army, the CRPF, and the intelligence agencies. A unified border command system for better coordination, an integrated command which coordinates border forces, and surveillance under a central system, is imperative.  

  India must work towards a networked border. Technology is an enabler, but it cannot be a total replacement. Smart fencing, drones, space sensors, ground sensors, and AI-driven analytics can enhance awareness. As a force multiplier, they must be integrated through joint command centres linking the Army, paramilitary forces, and local police. 

There are deep inter-state and cultural relations and foreign policy issues involved, as between India and Nepal. Border management must remain people-centric, it must not lead to the spoiling of relations. Diplomacy and security are two wheels of the same chariot. India-Bangladesh relations can get sensitive and can easily slide into disorder, transforming a cooperative border into a challenging one. The same is true with Myanmar’s evolving landscape. Autonomous and automated control systems stand at the forefront of advancements, offering real-time monitoring and control of border crossings.  These systems utilise sophisticated sensors and algorithms to detect unauthorised movements and enhance situational awareness for border security. However, autonomous decision-making, utilising AI and machine learning, can be inhuman in clinical decision-making. A human oversight is a must.

  The transformative impact of technologies like biometric systems, drones, and smart border control solutions to border management strategies, may oversimplify the complex interactions between technology and the border security. It may tend to overlook the nuances of policy decisions, human agency, and geopolitical dynamics that impact how technology is implemented and its effectiveness in border management strategies.  Contributions of intelligence gathering, enhancing situational awareness, and the response mechanism, like along the India-China border, cannot be obviated in reliance on technology. It must be understood that borders will continue to test security agencies, men and nations alike, despite the best technology.